In a major shift for a retailer which prides itself on own-brand goods, M&S will empty shelves of its baby food, four years after the launch of its Tiny Taste Buds food pouches.

Ella’s Kitchen, which uses 100 per cent organic ingredients in all its 216 products, is a market leader, with sales soaring 11.4 per cent to £64.9million last year. It was launched in 2006 by former Nickelodeon director Paul Lindley, 51, who named it after his daughter. With no retail experience, he was inspired to set the firm up in a bid to curb child obesity.

The company was bought by US nutrition group Hain Celestial for £66million in 2013. Mark Cuddigan, chief executive of Ella’s Kitchen, said: ‘Ella’s Kitchen is pleased to be working with a business that so closely aligns with our own values.’